Military taps YouTube to promote its view of Iraq

In one video, a US soldier blasts insurgent gunmen with a heavy sniper rifle as the room fills with smoke. In another, members of an Iraqi family throw their arms around soldiers, weeping and rejoicing, after learning that their kidnapped relative has been freed. The US military has opened a new front in the Iraq War: cyberspace. Moving into a realm long dominated by Islamic militants, the military has launched a YouTube channel offering what it calls a boots-on-the-ground perspective. Available for download are blistering firefights across rooftops, nighttime raids filmed through the green glow of night-vision devices, and a "precision strike" that wiped out an insurgent anti-aircraft gun in a huge ball of fire. According to Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, a spokesman for the US military in Iraq, footage of soldiers handing soccer balls to delighted Iraqi children is unlikely to be featured on most newscasts. But, Garver said, "the soccer ball story is part of what is happening in Iraq… and that needs to be recorded somewhere." The military says its channel provides an "unfiltered perspective" on the war, but any footage posted is vetted by US officials. This is not the first time the military has delved into the world of online video sharing. The US Navy launched a YouTube channel in November, and the Army followed in February. So far, the videos posted on YouTube have been shot by the military's professional combat cameramen, as well as public affairs and Armed Forces Network teams.